


fate is a strange thing

by IcyRedRose



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-28 20:03:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18763246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyRedRose/pseuds/IcyRedRose
Summary: your enemy’s name on one wrist and your soulmate the another. no clue which is which. hope it’s not the same name on both wrists.Jester lived in a world with amazing creatures and magic around every turn. Most of her friends had some kind of magic and her god blessed her with incredible abilities. But her favorite magic was one her Mama would tell Jester about almost every night as a kid. There was a natural magic that affected every race in Wildemount and beyond. As you grew up, a name would appear on each of your wrists. One was your soulmate; the other was your enemy. No one ever got their marks at the same time, that’s the weird thing about fate, you never know when it’ll show up.





	1. Chapter 1

Jester lived in a world with amazing creatures and magic around every turn. Most of her friends had some kind of magic and her god blessed her with incredible abilities. But her favorite magic was one her Mama would tell Jester about almost every night as a kid. There was a natural magic that affected every race in Wildemount and beyond. As you grew up, a name would appear on each of your wrists. One was your soulmate; the other was your enemy. No one ever got their marks at the same time, that’s the weird thing about fate, you never know when it’ll show up. 

She was disappointed when after meeting a handsome half-orc man his name didn’t appear on her wrist, but as they continued on their journey she was hopeful that their time would come. Months passed, creatures were fought, and ships were stolen until finally she found herself sitting across from a dirty wizard on an island full of pirates talking about that very same half-orc.

“You, uh, you're sweet on him, eh?"

Jester sighed. “I don't know. It feels funny."

"How do you mean?"

She looked down at where she was playing with the hem of her sleeve. "Well, you know when you really like somebody, but then you start to know them, and you go 'do I like them, or do I like who I thought they were?' And then you don’t know?"

Caleb hesitated. "I think so."

"And then you think that they were flirting with you but then you find out they probably weren't, you know? And so you feel like kind of sad about it. And maybe a little stupid?" She placed her hands on the table and leaned forward toward him, searching his face for a reaction.

"I—that's...a little out of my realm of experience, I'm sorry." Caleb obviously felt awkward, his gaze wandering in an effort to not make eye contact. 

Jester flipped one of her arms over and lightly ran her fingers over the bare wrist. “I don’t even have a name yet.” She said in a hushed voice. Her eyes darted back up to meet Caleb’s, who couldn’t help but look at her now. “Do you have a mark yet?”

He looked down at the table for a moment before responding. “Ja.” His hand moved to scratch the imaginary itch that welled up under his bandages.

“Astrid?” 

He shook his head and sighed. “Nein. No.” He carefully unwrapped his right arm until a name was visible alongside a few scars: _Trent._

Jester reached forward to hold his hand softly while reading the name. “Your enemy? Did he give you these scars?” He pulled back as she went to touch the faded cuts. Caleb was holding his arm, and Jester could tell he was closing himself off. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me anything yet if you don’t want to.” She grinned brightly, all sadness from her previous worries gone. “Although I am very good at keeping secrets.”

As Caleb wrapped his arm back up he gave her his familiar smile. “Oh Jester, don’t ever change.” He said as Jester started to giggle.

\--

Later, Jester laid in her bed, documenting to the Traveller how they were able to break into Avantika’s cabin, how Fjord distracted her while they did so, and finally her and Caleb’s conversation. As she closed her journal, reflecting on their conversation and curling into the covers, a tingling started on her arm. Jester shot up in bed and watched a name appear on her wrist in the darkness.

The excitement fell to her stomach and a wave of heat encompassed her body. “Oh my god.” Completely at a loss for words now, Jester tucked herself back into the blankets, the name ringing in her head, suddenly very aware of the person awake in the room next door.

_Caleb._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @carolina--church on Tumblr.


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb hadn’t had hope for a very long time. There’s no point of hoping when everything always goes up in flames. He had accepted that he was beyond saving, beyond hoping. But fate has a funny way of changing people’s minds. 

He sat on the bed, reflecting on what he and Jester had talked about. He was working on creating the key to Avantika’s cipher, but it was difficult with all these thoughts that floated around his head. He should’ve changed the subject when she asked about the marks. He shouldn’t have even asked about Fjord, but he just couldn’t keep his feelings to himself. That had been happening an awful lot recently, he needed to be smarter than that. Once they get back to Wildemount, he would leave. Stop using them, stop lying to them. Though he was used to lying by now. He had secrets no one, not even Nott, could know about. And there were things he never wants Jester to learn about him. His time at the academy. What he did to his parents. The mark on his left arm.

The mark was relatively new- just sixteen days old by his count. It was the day the harpies attacked, when he faked a heart attack like Nott wanted him to. He just hadn’t expected anyone to do anything drastic. But Jester always continued to surprise him.

He was shocked when her lips met his, and more so as she forcefully blew air into his lungs. He had immediately sat up, coughing. “That’s not what I was expecting!” He gasped.

“Oh good you’re alive!” Jester has left his side very quickly, returning to mending the sails.

Caleb continued to gasp for air. “Oh… oh thank goodness. You know I’m such a fearful person!”

“Oh maybe he’s okay.” Nott had said, trying to shift the attention from focusing directly on his faking.

“I’m always getting scared of things and that one was too much for me.” Caleb could hear Nott continuing to talk, saying that they had all saved him through the power of friendship, and he gave her a thumbs up.

His face had gotten very hot, which he knew meant he was turning almost as red as his hair. His head was buzzing with the thought of what had just transpired. Caleb told them it was because there was too much fighting, that they should find an island and stay there. Fjord had then told Beau to hug him, which of course he recoiled from, insisting he was fine, but was taken into the awkward hug anyway. 

Finally he had been able to go back to his room to sleep, but he couldn't get Jester out of his mind. He had turned over, ready to sleep, when a familiar tingling had creeped onto his wrist. He rapidly undid the bandages, and in the glow of a freshly summoned dancing light, was a name:

_Jester._

Ever since that night new thoughts crept into his mind. How come she could always get him to smile? Has her eyes always shined like that? When did he start noticing the freckles that were scattered like sprinkles over her cheeks? Why did the sound of her giggle make his stomach feel like it flipped in his body?

Stop. He had to stop thinking like that. He was a horrible person. He was a murderer. She could never- No, she should never love a person like him. He cared for her, more than he would like to, but that meant no one could know about it. He liked how things were with Jester now, and he would savor it for as long as he could. He couldn’t even tell Nott. She’d get hopeful and try to push them together. He wouldn’t let that happen.

Hope was a waste of his time. Jester loved Fjord anyways, even if she hadn’t gotten her mark yet, it would probably be his name. He‘d heard tons of stories about people who’d gotten their soulmate’s name, only for the other to get someone else’s. It wasn’t uncommon.

His eyes wandered from Avantika’s journal to look over Nott, Beau, and Yasha, who were taking shifts of protecting him tonight. It was Beau’s turn, she was leaned up against the wall in front of him reading her notes. Her wrists were bare, no name on either side, which was understandable considering how young and unaware she was. Yasha’s wrists were covered, she was such a mystery of course Caleb wouldn’t know if she had gotten her marks yet. Nott was curled up at the end of the bed. Her wrists were also covered, but he knew that she didn’t have a mark; she would have told him.

“You okay Caleb?”

Beau’s voice brought him back to reality.

“Ja. Ja. Just exhausted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @carolina--church on Tumblr.


End file.
